ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
IREDA signs MoUs with Bank of Maharashtra for Financing Renewable Energy Projects
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency , a Mini Ratna  Government of India enterprise under the administrative control of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, has signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding  with Bank of Maharashtra  today, September 18, 2023. This collaboration aims to promote and facilitate co-lending and loan syndication for a diverse spectrum of Renewable Energy projects across the nation.
The MoU comprises several services including co-lending and co-origination support for all Renewable Energy projects, facilitating loan syndication and underwriting, management of Trust & Retention Account for IREDA borrowers, and a commitment to establishing stable fixed interest rates spanning a period of 3-4 years for IREDA borrowings. Under this agreement, Bank of Maharashtra can invest in the Bonds issued by IREDA in accordance with the specified terms and conditions of the offering.
The MoU was signed by General Manager , IREDA, Shri Bharat Singh Rajput and General Manager , Bank of Maharashtra, Shri Rajesh Singh at IREDA’s Business Centre, New Delhi. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Chairman and Managing Director of IREDA, Shri Pradip Kumar Das and other senior officials from both organizations.
Speaking on the collaboration, IREDA CMD Shri Das said: "This MoU with Bank of Maharashtra is another significant step in our ongoing efforts to promote Renewable Energy adoption in India. By joining forces, we aim to provide a robust financial ecosystem for Green Energy projects, making clean and sustainable energy accessible to more communities and industries. The partnership underscores the importance of Financial Institutions and Government Agencies working together in line with country's goal to achieve India’s goal of Net Zero emissions by the year 2070, the target set by the Hon’ble Prime Minister.”
To address the substantial funding requirement of the Renewable Energy sector, including emerging technologies such as Green Hydrogen and Offshore Wind, IREDA has signed MoUs with Public Sector Banks and Financial Institutions to collaborate on co-lending for big-ticket-size projects.
Special Service and Features
Bharathi's biography should be translated in all Indian languages: Vice Chancellor Gurmeet Singh
The SubramaniaBharathi School of Tamil Language & Literature observed subramanyabharathi’s 100th memorial day on 12.09.2022. In the event, the book on subramanyabaharthi’sbiography written by Va. Ra. During 1944 which has been recently translated to English by Amshankumar as ‘subramanyaBharathi: A Biography by Va. Ra’’ was released at the event.
The Vice Chancellor of Pondicherry university released the book, Dr. Clement S. Lourdes dean of humanities received the first copy of the book, Professor Dr. T. Marx Head Department of English gave the introductory speech of the book.Felicitation was done by Prof.Chandhrika.
The Vice Chancellor Dr.Gurmeet Singh in his speech noted that as “one of the major figures of the Indian freedom movement was poet SubramanyaBharathi. Even during the era when technological advances were not much, he instilled a sense of gushing power upon the youth through his poems; he was well versed in languages like Tamil, Telugu, French and Bengali. Such a personality’s book coming out in the form of translation is truly a historical milestone achievement. In this regard I whole heartedly congratulate the documentary film maker and writer Mr. Amshenkumar in successfully bringing out this magnanimous work on Bharathi. Va. Ra’s work on the biography of Bharathi should be translated in other Indian langauges as well.
During his speech translator Amshenkumar noted that “though today Bharathi’s life history is being translated in English but Bharathi was a man who was very much against this colonial language of English. He was but still a learned man of various renowned English poets. He acknowledged Shelley to great extent. He even noted himself under the pen name of Shellydasan. Though he was very much against English language, he still translated the songs of Nammazvar and other English poems to vast extent. Va. Ra’s Bharathi’s life history is a very significant work in Tamil. Though a number of biographies being written, this work stands to be an unbiased work of great mark. He noted that he strongly believes that the Tamil world will provide all its support to this work.
In the event Professor Ilango gave his lecture titled on ‘Bharathi’s theory of god’. All the logistic support required for the event was assisted by Prof B. Ravikumar. The event was grandly witnessed by the faculty of Tamil department, Research scholars and PG students. according to the Press Release issued by Assistant Registrar K. Mahesh.
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Prime Minister's Office
PM praises Vitasta programme showcasing rich culture, arts and crafts of Kashmir
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has lauded the Ministry of Culture’s Vitasta programme showcasing rich culture, arts and crafts of Kashmir.
Culture Ministry is organising Vitasta program from 27th-30th January 2023 to showcase the rich culture, arts and crafts of Kashmir. The programme extends the historical identity of Kashmir to other states and it is a symbol of the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.
Responding to the tweet threads by Amrit Mahotsav, the Prime Minister tweeted;
“कश्मीर की समृद्ध विरासत, विविधता और विशिष्टता का अनुभव कराती एक अद्भुत पहल!”
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
India at Cannes – DD India reports from Ground Zero
Staying close to the Festival de Cannes, the Festival with a conscience, is always a film buff’s ultimate wish. For Indian movie lovers, it’s also larger than life experience typical of a great movie journey. Doordarshan’s international channel DD India takes you on this journey in terms of understanding a rich diversity of voices from the film world globally. DD India is the only TV News channel from India with ground presence at Cannes, reporting live from the festival.
Star studded presence at the Opening of the India Pavilion saw 360 degree coverage on DD India. ‘India at Cannes’, a daily half-an-hour show is being mounted on DD India and DD News. The program brings about the extraordinary experience of Cannes – the energy and the emotions, the emerging trends, the relevance of film festivals in the 21st century and the elevated experiences of the moving images. It also highlights India as a content Hub. On the spot interviews of celebrities by DD India is bringing out interesting insights on their life and work.
With India being the official country of Honour at Cannes film Market in this edition of the festival, DD India is connecting the viewers with the voices that are emerging in the Cannes film circuit. Shekhar Kapur’s take on the stories to be explored by India as the largest film producing country in the world, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s brief on India’s immense potential to become the content hub of the world and Grammy award winner Ricky Kej’s point on the exhilarating energy of the festival are all being vividly amplified on screen with engaging chats from ground zero.
The daily show ‘India at Cannes’ is being broadcast at 10 PM on DD India and at 10:30 PM on DD News. Scan the QR code below to watch the 2022 Cannes Film Festival on DD India.
Prime Minister's Office
PM's bilateral meetings on the eve of ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit
On the eve of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit  to celebrate 25 years of India-ASEAN partnership, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had separate bilateral meetings with Her Excellency Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of Myanmar, His Excellency Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam and His Excellency Mr. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, President of the Philippines on Wednesday.
2. Prime Minister welcomed the three leaders to India for participation in the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit and also for accepting the invitation to be Chief Guests at the Republic Day celebrations on 26th January this year.
3. During the meeting of Prime Minister Modi with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, discussions were held on various issues of mutual interest and ways of further strengthening our bilateral relations, including follow up on key decisions taken during the visit of the Prime Minister Modi to Myanmar in Septmber 2017.
4. In the meeting with Prime Minister Phuc, the two leaders expressed satisfaction at the growth of bilateral relations between the two countries within the framework of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including in the fields of maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, defence, oil and gas, trade and investment. The leaders agreed that The two agreements signed during this visit viz., on cooperation in the fields of Information & Broadcasting and on establishment of tracking and data reception station and data processing facility in Vietnam under the ASEAN-India Space Cooperation would give further boost to India-Vietnam relations. They expressed satisfaction at operationalisation of the Line of Credit of US $ 100 million under which L&T has been awarded contract for manufacture of Offshore Patrol Vessels . They decided that the other Line of Credit of US $ 500 million be operationalised soon.
5. During the meeting with President Duterte, the two leaders reviewed the progress in bilateral relations and in global and regional situation since their meeting in Manila in November 2017. It was agreed to give further momentum to coperation between the two countries, particularly in the field of infrastructure development. They agreed that under India's Act East Policy and the Philippines' Build-Build-Build Programme, there are several areas for cooperation between private sectors of the two countries. The leaders also witnessed exchange of an MOU between Invest India and Board of Investments of the Philippines.
6. In all the three meetings, the visiting dignitaries underscored the importance of ASEAN-India relations for peace, security and socio-economic development in the Indo-Pacific region, and looked forward to the deliberations in the AICS.
Ministry of Railways
Door-to-Door Delivery by Railways
A ‘Joint Parcel Product’  of India Post and Indian Railways is being developed, wherein first-mile and last-mile connectivity will be provided by the Department of Posts, and the intermediate connectivity from station to station shall be done through Railways. The JPP aims to target business-to-business and business-to- customer market by providing complete parcel handling solution, i.e. picking up from the premises of the sender, booking and door-step delivery to the recipient.
The JPP by Indian Railways and India Post has commenced on pilot project basis. The first service of the pilot project has commenced on 31th March, 2022 from Surat to Varanasi.
This information was given by the Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronic & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
Prime Minister's Office
'My Friend, Abe San' - PM shares a tribute to Shinzo Abe
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has shared a tribute to the former Prime Minister of Japan Shri Shinzo Abe.
In a tweet thread the Prime Minister said :
"In the passing away of Mr. Abe, Japan and the world have lost a great visionary. And, I have lost a dear friend.
A tribute to my friend Abe San..."
"I first met Abe San in 2007 and since then, we have had so many memorable interactions. I will cherish each of them. Abe San energised the India-Japan relationship. He ensured that Japan is there side by side as New India accelerates its growth"
"As far as global leadership is concerned, Abe San was ahead of his times. The Quad, the ASEAN-led forums, the Indo Pacific Oceans Initiative, the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure all benefited from his contributions."
Ministry of Science & Technology
Denmark Foreign Minister Mr. Jeppe Kofod visited Barapullah DESMI Waste Water Management Project Site in Delhi
Foreign Minister of Denmark, Mr. Jeppe Kofod, visited the Barapullah DESMI Project Site here yesterday to understand the challenges in the area of waste water management and to discuss the scope of Danish technologies and collaboration with research institutions which may be engaged in this area. He was accompanied by Dr. Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology .
Foreign Minister made commitment with Secretary, DBT to have Indo-Danish partnership which would be a strong underpinning for strengthening the collaboration in area of waste water management and green transition.
The Barapullah drain is one of the main water transport ways in New Delhi that collects water from various smaller water drains from all over the city. It is mainly used for waste water and sewage transport. Because of the high population density, water scarcity and size of the waste water flow, the Barapullah drain is an excellent location for research in the area of waste water management.
Considering sewage/ sludge management as an important issue, DBT, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India initiated a novel holistic clean-up project in collaboration with DESMI EnviRO-CLEAN A/S, Denmark in January, 2019 at Sun Dial Park in Sarai Kale Khan area.
The aim of the project is to trap the floating debris from the drain and convert it into value added products. The purpose of this project is to prove the sustainability of the process with suitable gasification/ carbonisation technology to mitigate waste of mixed feedstock, collected from rivers or lakes besides reducing the damage to the local environment.
Key Features:
• Percentage of floating debris will reduce in Barapullah drain
• Sustainable source of energy can be produced on site
• Benefitting local environment and community
• Local employment
• Clean Indian Rivers
• Project leads and Research befits to water, energy and waste sector of India
• Supporting local manufacturing Industry - Make in India
Ministry of Home Affairs
Rs 1,03,927 crores allocated to MHA in 2019-20 budget
For the first time, the allocation for the Ministry of Home Affairs  in the Budget has exceeded Rs 1 lakh crores. The Interim Budget 2019-20 was presented by the Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs, Railways & Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal in Parliament today. The MHA has been allocated Rs 1,03,927 crores. This is Rs 10,477 crore more than the Budget allocated for the MHA last year. As per the Revised Estimates for 2018-19, the MHA expenditure has been pegged at 99,034 crores:

|
|
Ministry
|
|
2017-18
Actuals
|
|
2018-19
BE
|
|
2018-19
RE
|
|
2019-20
BE
|
|
MHA
|
|
87,547
|
|
93,450
|
|
99,034
|
|
1,03,927
Given below is the budget allocation for some of the major schemes of MHA:

|
|
Scheme
|
|
2017-18
Actuals
|
|
2018-19
BE
|
|
2018-19
RE
|
|
2019-20
BE
|
|
Modernisation of Police Forces
|
|
2,546
|
|
3,157
|
|
3,192
|
|
3,378
|
|
Police Infrastructure
|
|
4,545
|
|
4,750
|
|
4,836
|
|
5,117
|
|
Border Infrastructure and management
|
|
2,022
|
|
1,750
|
|
2,001
|
|
2,000
|
|
Border Area Development Programme
|
|
1,100
|
|
771
|
|
771
|
|
825
|
|
Relief and Rehabilitation for migrants and repatriates
|
|
1,057
|
|
787
|
|
1,048
|
|
809
|
|
Freedom Fighters 
|
|
760
|
|
775
|
|
858
|
|
953
|
|
Mission for Protection and Empowerment for Women
|
|
945
|
|
1,366
|
|
1,156
|
|
1,330
Transfer of resources to States and UTs with legislature for Disaster Relief is as per table below:

|
|
Head
|
|
2017-18
Actuals
|
|
2018-19
RE
|
|
2019-20
BE
|
|
Assistance to States from NDRF
|
|
4,723
|
|
10,000
|
|
10,000
|
|
Grant-in-Aid for SDRF
|
|
9,383
|
|
9,852
|
|
10,344
Ministry of Corporate Affairs
IICA and UNICEF jointly organize workshop on Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting 
Mumbai, 12 September 2023
Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs , organised a workshop on Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting  in collaboration with UNICEF and National Stock Exchange at the NSE premises in Mumbai on September 12, 2023. The workshop was attended by above 50 Sustainability, CSR , ESG  and BHR  professionals from key corporate houses.
The workshop aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the BRSR framework, which is based on the nine principles of the National Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct . The BRSR framework is a mandatory disclosure mechanism for top 1000 listed companies or businesses to report their performance on environmental, social and governance  aspects and demonstrate their commitment to responsible business practices. The workshop also covered various topics such as CSR & ESG as tools for establishing responsible brands, effective BRSR disclosures, digital tools, IT portal/software for BRSR and the application of family-friendly policies in business. The workshop enabled the participants to enhance their knowledge and skills in BRSR and its implementation.
The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. Harish Ahuja, SVP & Head PSD - Power & Carbon Markets, Investor Awareness, NSE, who shared his perspective on the importance of BRSR for investors and stakeholders. He highlighted the role of ESG factors in enhancing the value and reputation of businesses and reducing the risks associated with non-compliance and negative externalities. The workshop was facilitated by eminent experts from UNICEF, StepChange and IICA, a leading institute in the field of ESG, CSR, BHR, and corporate sustainability. The renowned faculty and expert speakers included Prof. Garima Dadhich, Associate Professor & Head, SoBE, IICA; Mr. Ashok Kumar Gupta, Former Group General Counsel, Aditya Birla Group; Mr. Ankit Jain, CEO, StepChange; Dr. Ravi Raj Atrey, CPE, SoBE, IICA, and Mr. Shubhrajyoti Bhowmik, Partnership Officer – Private & Public Sector Engagements, UNICEF.
The workshop concluded with an interactive learning recap, peer networking way forward and open house session. The workshop received an overwhelming response from the participants, who appreciated the quality and relevance of the content and delivery. The workshop was part of the ongoing collaboration between IICA and UNICEF to promote responsible business conduct among corporates and relevant stakeholders in India. More workshops on BRSR in different cities across India are scheduled such as Indore , Delhi , and Bengaluru .PIB Mumbai | NJ/ DR
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Ministry of Education
IIT Goa to Host 50 Students from Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh as part of ‘Yuva Sangam’
Goa : 10 May 2023
The Indian Institute of Technology , Goa is all set to host 50 students from Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh from 15th to 21st May 2023, as part of the second phase of 'Yuva Sangam' programme under 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' initiative of the Union Ministry of Education. The student contingent, comprising 35 students from Himachal Pradesh and 10 students from Ladakh, along with staff, will have the opportunity to interact with the people of Goa, learn about the state's history, culture, and traditions, and participate in various activities and events that showcase the best of Goa.
Prof. B. K. Mishra, Director, IIT Goa, addressed the media today and informed that the objective of this programme is to foster national integration and promote understanding and appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of different parts of India. The students' visit is focused on five broad areas - Paryatan , Parampara , Pragati  Paraspar Sampark , and Prodyogik .
Governor of Goa P. S. Sreedharan Pillai, Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, and Shri Govind Gaude, Goa Minister for Art and Culture and Sports will interact with the students during their visit to the state. Similarly, 50 students from Goa will depart for Himachal Pradesh and will be hosted by IIT Mandi.
About Yuva Sangam
The 'Yuva Sangam' programme focuses on conducting exposure tours of youths comprising mainly of students studying in Higher Educational institutions and some off-campus youngsters from across the Nation to various States of India. It provides an immersive experience of numerous facets of life, development landmarks, recent achievements, and youth connect in the host state.
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Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
MSP Operations during Kharif Marketing Season 2020-21
In the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season  2020-21, Government continues to procure Kharif 2020-21 crops at MSP from farmers as per existing MSP Schemes.
Paddy procurement for Kharif 2020-21 is continuing smoothly in the procuring States & UTs of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam,Karnataka and West Bengal with purchase of over 564.17 LMTs of paddy up to 16.01.2021.This is an increase of 25.25% against the last year corresponding purchase of 450.42LMT. Out of the total purchase of 564.17LMT, Punjab alone has contributed 202.77 LMT which is 35.94% of total procurement.
About 79.24 Lac farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement Operations with MSP value of Rs106516.31 Crore.
Further, based on the proposal from the States, approval was accorded for procurement of 51.66 LMT of Pulse and Oilseeds of Kharif Marketing Season 2020 for the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh under Price Support Scheme . Further, sanction for procurement of 1.23 LMT of Copra  for the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala was also given. Also, sanction for procurement of 2.50 LMT of Pulse and Oilseeds of Rabi Marketing Season 2020-2021 for the States of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, was given. For other States/UTs, approval will also be accorded on receipt of proposals for procurement of Pulses, Oilseeds and Copra under PSS so that procurement of FAQ grade of these crops can be made at notified MSP for the year 2020-21 directly from the registered farmers, if the market rate goes below MSP during the notified harvesting period in the respective States/UTs by the Central Nodal Agencies through State nominated procuring agencies.
Upto 16.01.2021, the Government through its Nodal Agencies has procured296892.11 MT of Moong, Urad, Groundnut Pods and Soybean having MSP value of Rs.1613.88Crores benefitting 159072 farmers in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Similarly, 5089 MT of copra  having MSP value of Rs.52.40 crore has been procured benefitting 3961 farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu upto 16.01.2021 as against the last year corresponding purchase of 293.34 MT of copra. In respect of Copra and Urad, rates are ruling above MSP in most of the major producing States. The respective State/UTs Governments are making necessary arrangements for commencement of procurement from the date as decided by the respective States based on the arrivals in respect of Kharif Pulses and Oilseeds.
Procurement operations of seed cotton  under MSP are going on smoothly in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka. Till 16.01.2021 a quantity of 8480298 cotton bales valuing Rs.24802.87 Crore has been procured benefitting 1727565 farmers.